Typographical composing and distributing machine



H. PEACOCK ,960,646

TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING MACHINE May 29, 1934.

Filed Nov. 7. 1952 Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES" TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING AND DIS- TRIBUTING MACHINE Herbert Peacock, Altrincham, England, assignor to Linotype and Machinery Limited, London, England, a limited-liability company Application November 7, 1932, Serial No. 641,557 In Great Britain December 4, 1931 7 Claims. (Cl. 199-'36) This invention relates to typographical composing and distributing machines such as those known commercially under the trade-mark Linotype.

In machines of this kind, a composed line of matrices and spacers, after presentation to the mould for the casting of the slug, is moved upwardly to the level'of the so-called upper transfer channel into which the line is shifted endwise. On the passing of the line into the transfer channel the matrices engage with an elevator bar by which they are lifted to the distributing mechanism, the spacers remaining supported by their projecting ears on a pair of rails within the channel. The spacers are then removed to the spacer magazine by a pivoted transfer finger, which moves forwardly over the top of the transfer channel and drops behind the end spacer so that on its backward movement the finger carries the spacers out of the channel and into the spacer magazine.

During its forward stroke, the finger rides on the spacers, and there is consequently a tendency for the latter to become slewed on the supporting rails, and such slewing may in some cases be sufficient to cause the spacers to drop out of the channel. I

The object of the present invention is to avoid the difliculty just-mentioned, and to this end the invention is directed to the provision of means for raising the finger and supporting it in a raised position out of contact with the spacers throughout its forward stroke, and. for lowering it to its active or spacer-engaging position-at or before the commencement of the backward stroke.

The invention may be carried out conveniently by providing on the finger a. pivoted tumbler adapted to ride on the respective upper edge or on the upper edges of the transfer channel in the 40 different positions, in which respectively it serves to support the finger clear of the spacers during the forward stroke and in its active position during the rearward stroke, the tumbler being automatically turned to the desired positions at appropriate parts of the stroke of the finger.

The invention is hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figures 1 and 2 are front elevations of portions of the upper transfer channel and spacer magazine showing one constructional form of the improved transfer finger in respectively different positions, and

Figure 3 is an elevation of a portion of the spacer magazine showing an alternative constructional form of the improved transfer finger.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, 1 is the upper transfer channel into which the line is transferred endwise by the transfer slide 2 (Figure 2) operated through a link 3 by a lever (not shown), and 4 is a portion of the spacer magazine to which the spacers are transferredby the transfer finger 5 pivoted on the lever 6. The construction and operation of these parts is well known and consequently no further description thereof is deemed necessary. 7

According to the invention, the transfer finger 5 is provided with a tumbler 7, which in the constructional form under review is pivoted on a stud 8 extending laterally from the finger, and

carries at its upper end a lateral projection '7' extending over and normally resting by gravity on the upper edge of the finger 5 when the latter is in its inoperative position, as shown in Figure 1. In this constructional form the tumbler 7 is turned at the commencement of the forward stroke of the finger 5 by its forwardly extending lower end 7 coming into contact with the end 9 of the transfer channel. When thus turned, the fiat surface 7 on the tumbler comes into contact with, and rides over, the respective upper edge of the transfer channel, thus raising the finger 5 and supporting it in the raised position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. When the finger 5 is nearing the end of its forward stroke, as shown in full lines in Figure 2, the lateral projection '7 of the tumbler strikes against the line transfer slide 2 then in its path, whereby it is turned back to its normal position with a second fiat surface '7 at its lower end riding on the edge of the transfer channel, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, to support the finger in its active position throughout the backward stroke.

In the alternative constructional form illustrated in Figure 3, the tumbler 10 straddles the finger 5 and is formed with two depending arms 10 which engage the upper edges of the transfer channel to determine the positions of the finger during the forward and backward strokes of the latter. In this arrangement the turning of the tumbler 10 to the position for supporting the finger above the spacers, is effected near the end of the backward stroke of the finger, by means of a pin 11 on the tumbler being brought into contact with a tappet, preferably in the form of a blade spring 12, mounted at the upper end of the spacer magazine 4. As in the previously described arrangement, the tumbler 10 is turned to allow the finger 5 to drop to the spacer-engaging posithe combination with a transfer channel in which spacers are supported by their projecting ears and a pivoted transfer finger movable relatively to the transfer channel forwardly-into engagement with the end spacer and backwardly to carry the spacers out of the channel into the spacer magazine, of means for holding the finger out of contact with the spacers throughout its forward stroke and for ensuring its movement into spacerengaging position at or before the commencement of the backward stroke.

2. In spacer distributing mechanism for typographical composing and distributing machines, the combination with a transfer channel in which spacers are supported by their projecting ears and a pivoted transfer finger movable forwardly over the top of the transfer channel into engagement with the end spacer and backwardly to carry the spacers out of the channel into the spacer magazine, of a tumbler pivotally mounted on the finger adapted to ride on the upper edge of the transfer channel in two different positions, in which respectively it serves to support the finger clear of the spacers and in the spacer-engaging position, and means adapted to move the tumbler, to the respective positions at or before the commencement of the forward and backward strokes of the finger.

3. In spacer distributing mechanism for typographical composing and distributing machines, the combination with a transfer channel in which spacers are supported by their projecting ears and a pivoted transfer finger movable forwardly over the top of the transfer channel into engagement with the end spacer and backwardly to carry the spacers out of the channel into the spacer magazine, of a tumbler pivotally mounted on the finger adapted to ride on the upper edge of the transfer channel in two different positions, in which respectively it serves to support the finger clear of the spacers and in the spacer-engaging position and a projection on the tumbler extending below its pivot adapted to engage the end of the transfer channel during the forward stroke of the finger whereby the tumbler is turned to support the finger in the inactive position.

4. In spacer distributing mechanism for typographical composing and distributing machines, the combination with a transfer channel in which spacers are supported by their projecting ears and a pivoted transfer finger movable forwardly over the top of the transfer channel into engagement with the end spacer and backwardly to carry the spacers outv of the channel into the spacer magazine, of a tumbler pivotally mounted on the finger adapted to ride on the upper edge of the transfer channel in two different positions in which respectively it serves to support the finger clear of the spacers and in the spacer-engaging position, a pin on the tumbler above its pivot and a tappet mounted at the upper end of the spacer magazine adapted to engage said pin at or near the end of the backward stroke of the finger and thereby turn the tumbler to determine the inactive position of the finger during its next suc 'ceeding forward stroke. a

5. In spacer distributing mechanism for typographical composing and distributing machines, the combination with a transfer channel in which spacers are supported by their projecting ears, a transfer slide operable to movealine of matrices and spacers into the transfer channel and a pivoted transfer finger movable forwardly over the top of the transfer channel into engagement with the end spacer and backwardly to carry the spacers out of the channel into the spacer magazine,

of a tumbler pivotally mounted on the finger adapted to ride on the upper edge of the transfer channel in two different positions, in which respectively it serves to support the finger clear of the spacers and in the spacer-engaging position, and a laterally extending member located on the tumbler above its pivot adapted to engage the line transfer slide at or near the end of the forwardstroke of the finger for lowering the latter to its active position.

6. In spacer distributing mechanism for typographical composing and distributing machines, the combination with a transfer channel in which spacers are supported by their projecting ears, a transferslide operable to ;move a line,- of matrices and spacers into the transfer channel and a pivoted transfer finger movable forwardly over the top ofthetransferchannel into engagement with theend spacer andbackwardly to carrythe-spacers out of thechannel'into the spacer magazine, of a tumbler pivotally mounted .on the finger adaptedto ride on the :upper ;edgeiof the transfer channel in two different positions, in. which respectively it serves to support the finger clear of the spacers and in the spacerrengaging position, a projection on the tumbler extending; below its pivotadapted to engage the end of the transfer channelduring the forward stroke of the finger whereby the tumbler'is turned to support the finger in the inactive position and a laterally ex- 1111- tending member located on the tumbler above its pivot adapted to; engage the line transfer slide at or near the end of the forward stroke of the finger for lowering the latter to its active position.

:7. In spacer distributing mechanism for typographical composing :and. distributing machines, the combination with a transfer channel in which spacers are supported by theirprojectingears, a transfer slide operable to. move aline of. matrices and spacersintothe transfer channel and a pivoted transfer finger-movableforwardly over the top of the transfer channel into engagement with the end spacer and backwardly to carry the spacers out of the channel into the spacer magazine,

of a tumbler pivotally mounted on the finger adapted to ride on the upper edge of the transfer channel in two different positions, in which respectively it serves to support the finger clearof the spacers and in the spacer-engaging position, a

pin on the tumbler above its pivot, a tappet mounted at the upper end of the spacer magazine adapted to engage said pin at or near the end of the backward stroke of the finger and thereby turn the tumbler to determine'the' inactive'position of the finger during its next succeeding forward'st'roke and a laterally extending'member located on the tumbler above its pivot adapted to engage the line transfer slide at or near the end of the forward stroke of th'e finger for; lowering the latterto its active position.

HERBERT" PEAoooK. 

